Question: Have there been any studies conducted that suggest the optimal living situation for freshman students (single, double, triple, quad …)? My daughter just entered her freshman year at a small liberal arts college and the room–clearly designed for two–is housing three students. All students in the honors dorm are similarly housed, and I question the overcrowding and how this may negatively impact her academics.

I don’t know if any freshman housing studies have been done, but I suspect that there have been many. After all, what topic these days hasn’t been studied ad nauseam? And, of course, any time there’s a question with a common-sense answer, it somehow seems that thousands of dollars are spent researching it anyway. Certainly, the common-sense answer here is that students crowded into too-small dorm rooms will often have less study time and added stress. It’s usually easier for two roommates to coexist rather than three or four. The more bodies squeezed into a small space, the more likely it is that there will be multiple sleeping schedules and study schedules … and many multiple visitors.

So, sure, as a parent, it’s understandable that you are worried when you see that your daughter’s rooming situation is less than ideal. But do keep in mind that there are many lessons learned in college that aren’t learned in the classroom. As a result of her crowded digs, your daughter may hone her skills in time-management and diplomacy. Moreover, as the parent, it’s easy to project your own needs onto your child’s. When most of us are old enough to be sending a kid to college, we’re also too old to imagine sharing a bathroom with a dozen others or even a closet with a near-stranger. But such rites of passage come with the college turf, and they aren’t as terrorizing to teenagers as they might be to you and me.

Thus, as your daughter’s freshman year gets underway, it’s important that you encourage her to make the most of her situation—assuming that she’s bothered by it in the first place. Don’t point out the negatives; emphasize the pluses. On the other hand, if there are problems that seem irreconcilable, then you can support your daughter as she notifies the Residence Life staff at her school, with the hope of prevailing upon administrators to provide more reasonable accommodations. But, meanwhile, don’t anticipate these problems. Your daughter may do just fine, and she might even emerge from her close quarters with greater flexibility and self-confidence, along with a few extra pairs of socks and undies, too.

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Question: I am applying Early DECISION to Rice. Can I apply Early ACTION to other colleges?

College admission regulations can be confusing indeed, especially when it come to early-application options. In most cases, however, early decision candidates are free to apply to other colleges via NON-BINDING admission plans, which include early ACTION. But you’re right to be concerned–as well as confused–because not all colleges follow this protocol.

At Rice you CAN apply elsewhere while you await your ED verdict, as long as you’re not applying to other Early DECISION schools. You also have to be aware that, if you are admitted ED to Rice as well as to your EA schools, then you are obligated to enroll at Rice. (However, if you are a financial aid applicant, and you are admitted to Rice but do not receive adequate financial aid, then you CAN withdraw from your ED commitment. But, to do so ethically, the Rice aid package must be truly insufficient, and not simply less attractive than you’d hoped–or than what some EA school has offered.)

If you are deferred ED at Rice, then, of course, you are free to apply elsewhere, including under some other college’s Early Decision Round 2 option. You are also free to enroll where you wish, even if Rice does eventually admit you.

Hope that helps. Good luck navigating the college maze!

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Question: My son’s school has junior varsity soccer but doesn’t give out JV letters, only varsity. If my son never makes the varsity team, will not having a JV letter hurt his college applications? Do colleges ask about JV letters?

The good news is that the lack of JV letters won’t hurt your son’s applications. But the bad news is that colleges don’t really care about JV participation at all. Sure, if he lists his team membership on his applications or résumé, it will be recognized as time well spent (whether he has an official “letter” or not) … but that’s about it. In fact, colleges are not particularly interested in any pursuits from 9th grade unless they’re truly outstanding or atypical. You surely know how hard your son worked to make the JV team as a freshman. At some high schools, this is the norm but, at many, the 9th graders get relegated to a freshman team or are cut from the squad entirely. You also know the hours of time devoted to practice, travel, and games (probably your hours, too!). But colleges appreciate little of this, especially the more selective ones.

So, for better or worse, whether or not your son was awarded a letter for his JV efforts makes no difference to colleges. You also might want to read this previous “Ask The Dean” column (”College Admissions for Non-Athletes“) for a somewhat sobering look at the way admission committees view high school athletes who may be spirited but aren’t hot recruits,

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Question: My wife and I have a difference of opinion concerning our son’s high school education. He is now a sophomore enrolled in the A.P. program at a parochial high school. Our question boils down to this: parochial vs. public high school? His current school is known for having a rigorous curriculum. Not everyone is accepted into this high school. My wife feels that a 3.5 GPA from this school is no different than a 3.5 average from any other public high school honors/AP program. Am I only fooling myself thinking that my son is getting a better education because he is going to this type of school? Will the name of the high school he attends make a bit of difference when applying to college?

It’s hard to answer your question without knowing a lot more about the specific schools involved. That is, there are some very good, well-regarded parochial schools, and, likewise, some public counterparts that can hold their own with even the tip-top prep schools.

When college admission officials evaluate a candidate, they pay close attention to the school he or she attends. Often they have visited the school, have seen numerous applicants from this school in the past, and are familiar with its standards and the type of student from that school that they have previously admitted (or denied!).

When admission committees don’t have that sort of first-hand information, they rely heavily on the “School Profile” that is submitted with each transcript. From this, they can learn something about the school’s admission standards, its course offerings, the percentage of students who head off to four-year colleges after graduation (and often where they go), how the school “weights” grades and ranks, etc. Thus, your son’s 3.5 GPA might indeed be considered by admission officials to be equivalent to the same GPA at your local school … or not. It depends very much on the schools in question.

In general (and this is a very broad and probably not very fair generalization) good parochial schools do not garner any more respect in admission offices than good public schools do. In some instances, I’ve even sniffed out subtle prejudices against parochial school students among “elite-college” admission officials who may feel that these students are taught to obey more than they are taught to think for themselves (though I bet that few admission folks would go on the record to admit this!) So perhaps your wife wins that round.

However, some Catholic schools offer smaller classes, far fewer discipline problems, and a solid grounding in religious and ethical issues that the public schools don’t cover, which may be what you seek for your son. While the top public school students can certainly hold their own against the top Catholic school students–and may even best them, too–the bottom-of-the-heap parochial school kids tend to be stronger than the bottom layer at most public schools, where the range is wider.

If the school your son attends has a good reputation, then college admission officials should be well aware of its rigor and will accord appropriate respect to your son’s transcript when the time comes. You should feel free, even this early in the process (if you have not done so already) to talk with guidance counselors about the school’s college admission track record, and see if students are applying to—and getting into—the kinds of colleges you hope your son will attend.

You should also ask for a copy of the aforementioned “School Profile.” Make sure that it clearly designates which classes are advanced, honors, or Advanced Placement level. If students are ranked, does it explain how their rank is computed and how grades are weighted when students elect the challenging classes? If students are routinely accepted at Ivy League and other highly competitive colleges, is that indicated on the profile as well? If not, you should urge your school officials to revise the information they send to colleges or at least you should make sure that, when it comes time for your son to submit applications, his counselor recommendation makes mention of the demands of the curriculum as well as any special efforts your son has made to meet these demands.

Although I said your wife may be right about how your son’s parochial school grades stack up against those earned in top classes at a good public school, don’t let her claim a true victory on this one because, depending on the actual institutions involved, you may be the one who’s really right when it comes to deciding where your son will get the best education. And how about your son himself? If he is happy and engaged, challenged and successful at his current school, then it sounds like it’s the right spot for him, regardless of how admission officials may view it when compared with the public alternative.

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Question: I’m a high school senior and will be having several campus interviews this fall. I’ve heard that it’s not a good idea to ask a lot of questions that suggest that I’m only concerned with material things … like if I can bring a car or microwave to campus. Are there other kinds of questions that I should avoid, too?

You don’t have to eliminate the “creature comfort” questions entirely, but just go easy on them. Sometimes, in fact, students have important reasons to ask such things, and it’s always wise to let your interviewer know if you do. One student in my orbit, for instance, is hoping to take a car to college so that she can visit her ailing grandmother who lives in a nearby town, several hours from all other family members. Another student I know has kept kosher since she was 12, even though the rest of her family does not, so having her own microwave would help her continue this in college. But you certainly don’t need to ask if your dorm room gets HBO.

Do avoid all questions that can be easily answered by visiting the college Web site or reading other propaganda (”Do you have a Spanish major?” “What’s the Early Decision deadline?” “Is there a women’s lacrosse team?”) Also try to steer clear of questions that sound like they’re straight from some “How to impress your interviewer” article, written by someone who’s probably never impressed an interviewer. (”What percentage of tenure-track professors receive tenure and what is the average waiting period?”) And be wary of questions that have a negative tone. For instance, instead of saying, “How many freshmen get stuck in triples?” ask, “Can you tell me about the rooming options for freshmen?”

Unfortunately, you shouldn’t expect an answer to what you may want to know the most (”Do you think I’ll get in?”). In fact, don’t even bother to ask … at least not quite that way. But, if you think you may be out of your league, you can try saying something like, “Is this school a huge long shot for me?” You will probably get a vague, party-line reply along the lines of, “It’s impossible to say without all your application materials in front of me.” But you might, instead, be told that indeed you’re reaching very high, which is usually code for, “You don’t have much of a prayer,” since most interviewers are trained to encourage applicants, not scare them off.

A question that seems harmless enough but always somehow bugged me when I conducted interviews is, “What’s your best department?” No admission official is going to single out one area above all others or dump on any of the potentially weaker ones. You’re better off being more specific by asking, “Is there anything that you know about that sets your English department apart from others … internship opportunities, popular profs, etc.?”

Sometimes, even worse than asking the “wrong” question is asking none at all. Coming up empty at question time suggests a lack of interest in the college or a lack of curiosity in general. But, in my interviewing days, I was always okay with a “No questions” response as long as it came with other context (e.g., “I’ve already read everything I could get my hands on about your school” or “I just grilled the tour guide for 25 minutes!”).

As you hit the interview circuit, whatever your questions are, it’s fine to write them down in a notebook and take that notebook into the session with you. This will not only keep you from blanking out if you’re nervous, but also it will show your interviewer that you are well prepared. Even so, don’t shy away from spontaneous questions either. Sometimes the things you truly want to find out are those that come to mind as you look around you on campus or react to something the interviewer has just said.

Even though you may feel like you’re on the “hot seat” at your interviews, do remember that they also present a great opportunity for you to learn about the schools you’re seeing, so do take advantage of this chance to find out what you really want to know … besides, “What are my chances?”

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Question: I’m about to start my senior year in high school, and my coach said that I am good enough to play Division 3 Softball in college. What does this mean and how do I get a scholarship?

Colleges and universities that belong to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (better known as the NCAA) typically offer sports at either the Division 1, Division 2, or Division 3 level. Division 1 is the most selective and Division 3 the least … but, even so, there’s a big jump between being a good high school athlete and being qualified to play at college on any level, even Div. 3.

NCAA rules prohibit athletic scholarships at Division 3 colleges. You’ll have to go to Div. 1 or 2 for softball dough (more on that in a minute). But, if you qualify for need-based financial aid or some other form of merit scholarship (e.g., for academics, arts, etc.) then you may indeed receive $$ to attend a Div. 3 school … you just can’t get the money specifically for softball.

Note, however, that some Div. 3 colleges do tend to “sweeten the pot” for athletic prospects. For instance, let’s say your family qualifies for need-based financial aid. Instead of giving you an aid “package” that is mostly loan and some grant (the good stuff that you don’t need to pay back), you may find that, as a sought-after softball player, your aid package turns out to be all–or mostly–grant money.

If you’re an especially strong Div. 3 player, then you might even be a contender at some Div. 1 or 2 institutions, too, where athletic scholarships are permissible. If so, you’ll have to register with the NCAA and make sure that your course selection, grades, and standardized test scores meet certain minimal standards. For more information about these standards, as well as most everything you want to know about playing a sport in college, see the NCAA’s Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete: http://www.ncaastudent.org/NCAA_Guide.pdf

Note, however, that scholarship money for sports is hard to come by–only the most talented athletes will qualify–and even if a coach is considering you for an athletic scholarship, most of these scholarships are not the “free rides” that we all hear about on TV or through the rumor mill. Many coaches are given a fixed amount of scholarships but then may divide them among several recruits, so the result is that no single player receives more than a few thousand dollars. Thus, if a coach expresses an interest in you and mentions the possibility of scholarship help, don’t hesitate to ask whether you’re looking at serious bucks or just pizza money.

To find a list of colleges with NCAA softball teams, go to: http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/sponsorship Note that this list indicates if the program is in Division 1, 2 or 3. There are also other colleges that are not affiliated with the NCAA but do offer softball as well.

To find more softball schools, use the College Board “Matchmaker” at http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp Under the “Sports & Activities” heading, select “Softball” in the “Women” column, and then, down below, you have the option to narrow down your search to Div. 1, 2, or 3 (and also intramural).

Keep in mind that, even if the Division 3 colleges can’t offer scholarships for athletic prowess, what they may be able to provide is a boost in your admissions odds, if you’re a promising recruit. In other words, if you find that you’re a borderline candidate at a top-choice school, the coach’s clout may make a difference in your admissions verdict. So, as soon as you discover any colleges—at any level–that interest you, feel free to contact the coach to express your interest. At the Div. 1 and Div. 2 levels, the NCAA has strict rules that govern the sort of exchanges that coaches can have with recruits, but at Div. 3 colleges, those rules are laxer.

A final thing to keep in mind is this: Some Division 3 coaches are straight shooters and some are not. At Div. 1 and 2 colleges, prospective students often sign a “Letter of Intent” which helps the coaches know which athletes are sure to matriculate. At Div. 3 schools, however, it’s hard for a coach to assess which players will eventually enroll. So, it’s common for coaches to suck up to all potential athletes with the hope that at least a couple will show up in September. So be wary of promises made by Division 3 coaches. The nice guy who tells you that you’re a “likely four-year starter” in December may forget about you entirely by the following fall, if his recruiting season has been successful. So be sure to query coaches about team size, returning players (and their positions), how many players will be cut after try-outs, etc. This will help you to determine if the coach is serious about you or maybe leading you on.

Good luck with your senior year and you college search. I hope you find a lot of colleges that are in the ballpark for you and at least one that may even be a homerun.

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Question: On my roommate-matching questionnaire, I wrote down that I do not smoke and expect to live with another non-smoker. I found out that the college always respects that preference, and I was assigned a non-smoking roommate… or so I thought. But then I met my roommate at orientation. She seems really nice, but later that night I saw her outside having a cigarette with some other kids. I was shy about asking if she really does smoke. Maybe it was a one-time–or just occasional– thing, or maybe she is going to start smoking in college. I really DON’T want to share a room with a smoker. What should I do?

You have “The Dean’s” sympathy. I, too, had a freshman roommate who took up the nasty habit in our first semester. Back in those days (1969) I must admit I was pretty oblivious. But if it happened to me now, I’d be ready to jump out the window. It’s possible that your roomie was just trying to fit in with some new friends she met at orientation, and there will be no butts about her when she starts school for real. On the other hand, it could be that she’s been a smoker all along but had to fill out the housing questionnaire under close parental scrutiny. It seems that your only options are to:

-contact the roommate pronto to tell her what you saw and how you feel about it. Maybe you’ll get a “I don’t know what possessed me that night” reply, and you can breathe a (smoke-free) sigh of relief.

-suck it up (the situation that is, not the smoke) and hope that the roommate only smokes elsewhere (is the dorm itself smoke-free?) and keeps her stinky stuff in a separate closet

None of those approaches are ideal, but–if you’ve got the guts for it–the first one is probably the place to start.

Good luck!

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Question: Why do college applications ask where my parents went to college, and will it help me or hurt me that they went to small, little-known state schools?

The main reason that applications ask this question is to give admission officials a bit more insight into where you’re coming from. In other words, when they evaluate your grades, your writing, and, especially, your SAT or ACT scores, it’s helpful to know about the intellectual climate in which you (presumably) live. Admission officials may have somewhat different expectations of the son or daughter of a factory worker who did not attend college than they would of the child of a surgeon with an Ivy League degree. Perhaps these expectations aren’t entirely accurate–or fair–but, nonetheless, the admission folks view your parents’ background as part of your “big picture.”

When it comes to admission decisions, there are some advantages to having parents who attended snazzy colleges (e.g., you may hold “legacy” status at one or more of your target colleges; also, admission officials know you probably hail from a home where education is valued and you’ve most likely been exposed to literature, arts, etc. in a way that will help ease your adjustment to a demanding college). But there are also some disadvantages (e.g., more forgiveness when it comes to marginal grades, writing, or test scores goes to those whose parents may not have offered them the same academic opportunities).

If your parents did not attend college at all, then you might get a “hook” in the admissions process for being “first generation.” In your case, however, the fact that your parents went to college but not to any “name” school will probably end up being neither a plus nor a minus in your admission process.

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Question: After submitting an online application to an Ivy League university, I realized that I made about three spelling errors. One of these errors included spelling my name wrong on one form. Will they reject my application because of this? Have my chances of admission decreased dramatically?

While it’s never great to make spelling mistakes on an application, you can rest assured that your application–and YOU–won’t be rejected just because of this. Your chances of admission have not decreased dramatically. However, since you spelled your name incorrectly on one form, you might have inadvertently screwed up a filing process that could lead to a lost document or the incorrect entry of data. That’s not likely, but–depending on where and how you made your error–it’s possible.

So, here’s what I suggest: Send a cute note (e-mail or otherwise) to the admission office. Make fun of yourself by saying, “Would you ever admit an applicant who can’t spell her own name? I hope so! …” then go on to explain your error (very briefly). You can also point out that you were unfamiliar with the online application format and made a couple other spelling goofs along the way.

You shouldn’t make a big deal about this, but–because your misspelled name might confuse some records–it’s probably worth the follow-up.

In general, although applications are not shoved into the “Out” pile as soon as a spelling error is spotted, it’s wise to proof each submission as carefully as possible. The best way to do this is to print preliminary copies and let someone with a fresh pair of eyes (e.g., parent, sibling, friend) look for mistakes you may have missed. Admission folks tend to be more tolerant of occasional typos than of simple words that the applicant looks like he or she can’t spell. (Top contenders in this category include: Definitely, Received, business, psychology). Also remember to capitalize proper nouns like Spanish and French.

As my College Confidential colleague Dave Berry always says, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” So take some extra time to make sure that everything on your next application is spelled correctly.

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Question: I had a HUGE drop in GPA in the second semester of my sophomore year and first quarter of my junior year. The rest of my junior year was very good, and I expect my senior year (about to start) will be, too.

I’m going to write my college essay about how this mistake cost me my GPA, how I learned from it and bettered myself. Is this a good plan or is it a bad idea to use my essay to highlight a mistake I made rather than one of my achievements?

A college essay–whether it’s an official, required one or an unsolicited, supplementary one–can be a good way to explain irregularities in your personal life, education, or transcript. So, yes, do take advantage of the chance to tell your target colleges about your drop in grades.

You explained it nicely to us (”I was too busy trying to ’strike it rich’”) and you should certainly convey that information to colleges as well. The topic could even lend itself to some humor, which is usually much welcomed in admission offices, as long as you also show admission officials that you’re serious about the lesson you learned from your mistakes. And this message should be credible because your GPA bounced back to what it was before you were off on your gold rush. Also make sure that your senior year gets off to a strong start as well. It’s a prevalent myth that 11th grade is the one that “counts” with colleges and that 12th grade is almost irrelevant That’s actually not true at all. Colleges will pay close attention to your first senior semester so do make sure it’s a good one.

Meanwhile, save those get-rich-quick schemes for when you’re out of school and have a steady paycheck coming in.

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